Folding poultry-crate



. (No Model.) 2 SheetslSheet 1.

- D. P. ROSENBERGBR. FOLDING POULTRY RATB.

No. 562,031. Patented June' 16, 13,96.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. P. ROSENBBRGER, 'FOLDING POULTRY CRATE.

Q; di' Q, N

ANDREW BGRAHAM. MOTO-umuwwAsl-lmonmq C UNITED STATES.'

4PAIENI GFFICE.

DAVID?. nosunuaeun, or LINvILLn7 VIRGINIA.

FOLDING `Po U LTRY-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forining part Of Letters Patent N0. 562,031, dated Juil@ 1G, 1896.

Application filed August 26, 1895. Serial No. 560,591. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that LDAVID P. ROSENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Linville, in the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Folding Poultry-Crate, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to poultry-crates, and has for its object to provide a double crate having upper and lower compartments or decks constructed to fold into compact form for return transportation; to provide simple, strong, and durable means forV securing the crate in either its folded or extended positions, and, furthermore, to provide means` whereby the upperk tray or deck may be removed to adapt the crate for large fowls.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown extended or in operative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of one end of the crate, showing the same folded. Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section showing the crate extended. Fig. et is a similar view showing the crate folded. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionshowing the crate extended. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the crate folded. Fig. V7 is a detail horizontal section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3 to show the means for preventing the' outward deflection of the sides and ends at their centers and for supporting the upper tray or deck. Fig. Sis

detail view of a spring-hook which l preferably employ in connection with the improved crate.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of thedraw- Hinged to the upper edges of the end bars of the lowertray, as at 3, and adapted to fold inwardly or toward each other are the end frames 5, each of which consists of a skeleton frame having upper and lowerhorizontal bars 6 and 7 and a parallel intermediate bar S, the extremities of said bars being'connected by the uprights 9. The spaces inclosed by said parts of the frame are fitted with filling-wires 10, and' when folded tothe horizontal position shown in Figs. 2, 4, and G the upper surface (which, in the normal position, is the outer surface) of each end frame is flush with the upper edges of the side bars et of the lower tray, the lower or inner surface of the end frame being spaced from the plane of the sheet-metal bottom 2 a distance equal to the height of the end bars 3.

The side frames are sectional in construction and consist of upper sections 11 and lower sections 12, provided with filling-wires 13. The contiguous horizontal bars 14 and 15 of the side-frame sections are hinged together, as at 15, at their outer surfaces to fold with saidouter surfaces in contact, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 6, and the lower bars of the lower side-frame sections are hinged, as at at, to the upper edges of the side bars 4 to fold inwardly over the end frames. y.inasmuch as the upper-'surfaces of the end frames are iiush with the upper edges of the bars 4 when in their folded positions, the'lower surfaces of the lower side-frame sections 12 will bear upon said upper surfaces of the end frames. The extremities of the side frames are flush with the outer surfaces of the end frames, whereby when the parts are in the extended position (shown in Figs. 1, 3,`and 5) the side frames are prevented from bending inward at their centers, or at the points of connection of their sections, by reason of the bracing action of the end frames.

The end frames are provided at their upper edges or rising vertically from their upper bars 6 with pins or dowels 16 to engagesockets 17 in the end bars 18 of the crate-top or cover 19, said crate-top having a frame including said end bars 1S, side bars 20, and parallel longitudinal intermediate bars 2l. The longitudinal members of the frame of the crate-top are connected by spaced filling- ICO and a suitable slide-door 23 is proaccess to the interior of gaging sockets in the crateitep,I serve to firinly connect the members of the crate when in their extended or operative position.

Arranged upon the inner surfaces of the intermediate horizontal bars 8 `of the' end frames and'upon the upper barsl ofthe lower side-frame sections are projections or:

rests 27 to suppert theupper trayl28, and'in the construction illustrated 'said projections consist of "eyes for engagement by angle-` braces 29,-said angle-braces being in the form` of hooks which are permanently connected at one 'end to 'one eye and area'daptedto engage the other `eye and thereby extend diag'- enally across the angle'formed by the interi section ofithe side and end frames at each corner of the crate. These braces add to the rigidityyof the frame and allow the upper si'deframe sections, or one of them, to be let down to provide for the removal of the upper tray,

when the fowls have been removed therefrom,` to give access to the lower compartment of the crate;

In order to facilitate the folding of the crate, the upper trayis constructed, substantiall y as described in connection with the bottemofthe crate",` of a sheet-metal bottom 30, endbars 3l, and side bars 32, said side' and end bars bein g equal in thickness, whereby their upper and lower surfaces are flush, and the thickness of saidsideand end bars" being equal to thet'hickness of theend bars Bof the bottoni or lower tray. The upper tray is adapted to fit within the crate, asl

shown, with theouter edges'of' its frame-bars contiguous to the inner surfaces of'the rend and side1fraines', and hence when it is desired to fold the crate said upper tray maybe telescoped withinthe lower tray with the upf' per surfaces of itsside and end bars flush with theuppersurfacesof the end" bars 3 of said lower*tray. After thus arlangingthe' upper tray withinthe lower tray"the"end framesshould be 4folded inwardly tooccupy the position shown in Figs.`2, 4, and G, thev side frames should be folded upon themselves'with their upper and lower `frame-sections 'in parallel planes and' theinner sur" faces 'of the lower sections in"contact*with"\ the upper surfaces of the 'end frames," and,

finali y, the crate-top should be arranged upon the upper sides of the'upper'side-frame sec?` tions and parallel therewith and secured :in place to hold the'various members of the crate in the folded position bymeans of said corner-braces or hooks 2i, which are engaged with auxiliary eyes 26, which are arranged on thesurfac'es of the end bars 3.

It will be seen that when the crate is desired to contain large fowls, such as turkeys, the upper tray may be removed or fitted within the lower tray to form a single compartment instead of two compartments, as illustrated in the drawings, the interior of the crate being practically unobstructed by the arrangement of the upper tray in said folded or telescoped position.

InFig. "S l have shown a preferred forni of hook provided `with a spring or coil 24,-, ex-

tended to form a tongue 24, which, as abovel described, is stapled to the edge of the cratetop. This coil insures theperinanent engagement ofl the hook with the staple 2G aud prevents the disengagement 'thereof `by jar-y rin g` er* otherwise.'E

Various changes'in the form, proportion, and the minor detailsof construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit `or sacrificing any1 of the advantages ol' this invention.` Having described my invention, what I clai1nis'` "l" 1. In `a folding crate, the combination of a lower tray having a fraine projecting above l*the plane ofiitsbottjoni, end `iiranneshin ged to :"s'ectionsbeing adapted tofold inwardly and the upper frame-sections to fold outwardly, an upper trayhaving a frame adapted to it' specified.

the ends of the lower-tray frame andfadapted to fold inwardly over said tray," sectional side' frames hinged' Atogether` ati their contiguous edge's'to fold in parallel planes," the lower edges of the side-frame sections being hinged to the sides Aof'the frame, the"lewer framewithiu the frame ofthe lower tray, projections enthe inner surfaces'of the lower sideframe sections near their upper edges and in' a connnnfon plane upon the end frames to suplIlo port the upper'tray, whereby inward folding' of the end frames and the'lower side-frame sectionsis prevented, a fcrate-top'seeured to and supported-by; the end frames, and locking devices for securing the upper side-frame 'upper tray by outwardly folding one of the upper side-frame sections, substantially as `sectionsin'operative position, access being l given to the interior offthefcrat'e above the 2. AIuaflding crate, the combination of a t n `lower trayhaving side and end bars, the side bars extending at their upper edges above the plane ofthe upper edges of the end bars,"

"an upper tray having a frame adapted to iit within the frame of the lower tray and having side and end ba-rs equalin height to the rend bars of the lower tray, whereby they are fiush at their uppersurfaceswith'the upper surfaces of the `end bars of' the lowertray, end 'frames'hinged tothe `upper edges of the `end bars ofthe lowertray and adapted to ffold inward rto bear upon theupper surfaces of theside and end bars of the upper tray,

. sectional side frames hinged together at their and end frames, a crate-top, and means for securing the same removably to the upper edges of the side and end frames, substantially as specified.

In a folding crate, the combination of a lower tray provided with side and end bars, end frames hinged to the upper edges of the end bars of the lower tray and adapted to fold inward parallel with said tray and between the upper edges of the side bars with their upper surfaces flush with the upper edges of the side bars, sectional side frames comprising lower frame-sections hinged to the upper edges of the side bars and adapted to fold inward parallel with the lower tray to lie in contactvwitli the upper surfaces of the end frames, and upper sections hinged to the up-y by the side and end frames, projections on the inner surfaces of the side and end frames to support said upper tray at a point between the planes of the lower tray and the upper edges of the side and end frames, a crate-top, and means for securing the upper edges of the upper side-frame sections to the crate-top, said upper side-frame sections being adapted to be let down to enable the upper tray -to be removed without displacing the other members of the crate, substantially as specified.

4. In a folding crate, the combination of a tray, end frames hinged to the end edges of the tray and adapted to fold inwardly, sectional side frames having their lower sections hinged to the side edges of the tray to fold inwardly and their upper sections hinged to the lower sections to foldvoutwardly, a crate-top supported by the end frames, means for securing the upper edges of the lower side-frame sections to the end frames, and spring-actuated hooks attached to the end edges of the top, extending diagonally across the upper corners of the end frames and engaged with eyes upon the end edges of the upper sideframe sections, whereby said upper sideframe sections are temporarily locked against folding outward and are adapted to be released to give access to the interior of the crate, and whereby the intermediate portions of said hooks extending across the corners of the end frames to prevent the outward displacement of the upper edges thereof, substantially as specified.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

nAviD P. RosENBERGER.

Witnesses:

J. S. GEIL, GEO. W. Huss. 

